• Thailand launched airstrikes against Cambodian military targets along their long-disputed border, escalating tensions between the Southeast Asian neighbors. Thailand also accused Cambodia of launching rockets into civilian areas. Thailand’s health ministry said that at least 12 people, including 11 civilians and one soldier, have been killed in clashes with Cambodian troops.

• The strikes came a day after a Thai soldier lost his leg to a landmine on the border, prompting a downgrade of diplomatic ties by both Bangkok and Phnom Penh as relations collapse to their lowest level in years.

• Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended this month and could face dismissal after the leak of a phone call she had with Cambodia’s powerful former leader Hun Sen, in which she appeared to criticize her army’s actions in the dispute.

• Thailand and Cambodia have a relationship of both cooperation and rivalry. They share a 500-mile (800-kilometer) land border — largely mapped by France when it ruled Cambodia — that has periodically seen military clashes and been the source of political tensions.

Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict Live: Thailand has accused Cambodia of using heavy weaponry, including Russian RPGs, on its territory unprovoked. For its part, the Thai military deployed US-made F-16 fighter jets to strike Cambodian targets read more

Thailand has reported that two civilians was killed and three others, including a five-year-old boy, were seriously injured after Cambodian forces shelled a residential area in Surin province. According to defence ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri, the situation has escalated rapidly, with clashes now reported in at least six locations along the Thai-Cambodian border. In response to the shelling, the Thai army said it carried out airstrikes on military targets inside Cambodia. The Cambodian defence ministry claimed Thailand used fighter jets to bomb a road near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

In a strongly worded statement, the ministry warned that Thailand is “prepared to escalate self-defence measures” if Cambodia continues its military aggression and violations of Thai sovereignty, citing international law and norms.

Thailand’s Foreign Ministry has accused Cambodian forces of targeting civilian areas, including a hospital, in recent cross-border attacks that resulted in casualties.

“We have used air power against military targets as planned,” said Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon.

Thailand’s military confirmed that one of six F-16 fighter jets prepared for the border conflict carried out an airstrike on a Cambodian military position.

Hun Manet confirmed that Thai forces targeted Cambodian military positions near the Ta Moan Thom and Ta Krabey temples in Oddar Meanchey province, and later expanded the assault to the Mom Bei area.

“Cambodia has always sought peaceful solutions, but in this case, we have no choice but to respond with force,” he said in a social media post.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has slammed Thailand’s airstrikes as an “armed invasion,” vowing to respond with force.

Earlier in the day, Thai officials had reported that Cambodian shelling killed at least two civilians and injured others in separate attacks near the border.

According to Thai public broadcaster Thai PBS, the incident took place in Ban Phue town, located about 20km from the border in Sisaket province’s Kantharalak district.

Thailand has accused Cambodian forces of shelling a petrol station well inside its territory, killing at least three people.

The warning comes as clashes intensify between Thai and Cambodian forces near disputed border zones. Cambodia, which maintains close ties with Beijing, has seen a surge in Chinese investment and tourism in recent years.

In a statement posted online, the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia advised its citizens to “stay alert, strengthen safety precautions, and closely monitor the local security situation.”

China has issued a safety advisory for its nationals in Cambodia, urging them to steer clear of areas near the Thai border as tensions and fighting escalate.

Six of the victims were killed in a strike near a petrol station in Sisaket province, according to a military statement said, while the remaining thre,e including an eight-year-old child, were killed in Surin and Ubon Ratchathani provinces.

The cross-border strikes by Cambodia on Thursday have killed nine civilians and wounded 14 others, Thailand’s military said

Former Cambodian Prime Minister and President of the country’s Senate, Hun Sen, issued a warning to Thailand, saying “Cambodia is fully prepared for combat[…]Do not boast of your superior military power or think of invading Cambodia. You will face the most severe retaliation.”

Maj Gen Winthai also spoke about the decision to launch an operation, known as the ‘Chakraphong Phuvanaat military strategy’, to deal with Cambodia. This is a national defence plan that outlines the roles and readiness of various military units.

Thai Army spokesman Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree on Thursday said it has now become clear that Cambodia is the one pushing Thailand into a corner, leaving it with no choice but to respond, according to Thai PBS World.

“There are signs that the conflict may become prolonged and expand further,” the statement said.

A statement posted on the embassy’s Facebook page said it has been monitoring the rising tensions between Thailand and Cambodia closely adding that the situation continues to grow worse, with border clashes occurring in several areas.

The Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh has urged Thai nationals in Cambodia to leave the country as early as feasible due to the escalating conflict.

12 people have died along the Thailand-Cambodia border as weeks of simmering tensions escalated into clashes.

The neighbours are locked in a bitter spat over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet, and which is home to several ancient temples.

Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military targets on Thursday as Cambodia fired rockets and artillery in a dramatic escalation of a long-running border row between the two countries.

“The least we can expect is for them to stand down and hopefully try to enter into negotiation,” said Anwar, whose country currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which includes Cambodia and Thailand.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called on Thailand and Cambodia to “stand down” Thursday following deadly border clashes between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.

The International Court of Justice had ruled in favour of Cambodia in 1962 and again reaffirmed that stance in 2013 after deadly clashes. Cambodia has returned to the court to settle the ongoing dispute, but Thailand has rejected its jurisdiction.

The roots of the territorial dispute date back more than a century, centred on colonial-era French maps and the fate of ancient temples straddling the border. In particular, the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple remains a symbolic and strategic flashpoint.

The fallout weakened her ruling coalition and sparked nationalist protests. Her apology failed to quell the backlash, and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has since taken over as acting prime minister.

Domestic political turmoil has complicated the crisis. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended from office earlier this month after a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian figure triggered accusations of undermining Thai sovereignty. In the call, she referred to Cambodian ex-PM Hun Sen as “uncle” and criticised her country’s military.

Thailand responded with border restrictions, now extended to a complete closure. The dispute, rooted in conflicting interpretations of colonial-era maps, has once again spotlighted the fragility of peace along the 800-km frontier separating the two Southeast Asian neighbours.

The latest violence follows a series of confrontations since May, when a Cambodian soldier was shot dead in an earlier skirmish. Despite pledges to de-escalate, both sides have taken economic and diplomatic steps that worsened relations. Cambodia banned Thai imports including fuel and produce, and suspended cultural and digital links.

Thai authorities have now fully sealed the border, halting all crossings.

The confrontation marks a major escalation after months of simmering tensions, with exchanges of gunfire, shelling, and even Thai air strikes reported. The latest violence occurred near the Ta Muen Thom temple area in Surin province, following a land mine blast that injured Thai soldiers and prompted both countries to downgrade diplomatic ties.

Armed clashes erupted on Thursday between Thai and Cambodian forces across at least six disputed areas along their shared border, killing at least nine Thai civilians and injuring 14 others, Thai officials said.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council on Thursday, following the deadly cross-border firing with Thailand. “Considering the recent extremely grave aggressions by Thailand, which have gravely threatened peace and stability in the region, I earnestly request you to convene an urgent meeting of the Security Council to stop Thailand’s aggression,” PM Manet wrote in a letter addressed to the sitting UN Security Council president Asim Iftikhar Ahmad.

Khmer Times, a Cambodian English news publication, reported that Cambodian army has a strong foothold at Ta Moan Thom Temple and Ta Krabey Temple. These temple complexes, initially built as Hindu shrines and later entering the Buddhist fold, are at the centre of the current border clashes.

Cambodian and Thai troops are still fighting and shelling each other on the border, with either side refusing to retreat. Heavy shelling and firing have been reported.

“Without any provocation, they used heavy weapons to fire indiscriminately into the Thai territory, prompting Thai forces to respond,” he said after an emergency meeting of the National Security Council (NSC), according to Thai PBS World.

Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense of Cambodia, on Thursday afternoon said that after fierce fighting with the Thai side, the Cambodian army successfully occupied the Ta Krabey Temple, the Mom Bei area, and the Ta Moan Thom Temple, calling them “Cambodian sovereign territory.”

Thai military officials reported that rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) and the Russian-made BM-21 multiple rocket launchers were used in the attacks, Thai media reports said.

Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai described the firefight between the Thai and Cambodian forces “merely as clashes.” “We have not yet declared war on Cambodia. What is happening are just armed clashes,” he said.

The 2nd Army Region has released images showing Royal Thai Air Force F-16 fighter jets conducting precision airstrikes on Cambodian military command posts. The operation targeted the 8th and 9th Support Infantry Division Headquarters, which were identified as key units… pic.twitter.com/PSO535anuv

“We have used air power against military targets as planned,” according to a report by Bangkok Post.

Col Ritcha Suksuwanon, a Royal Thai Army deputy spokesperson, told reporters that the warplanes were deployed late Thursday morning from Ubon Ratchathani province, hitting two “Cambodian military targets on the ground.”

Thailand deployed six F-16 fighter jets to carry out air strikes on Cambodia on Thursday.

Contrary to these claims, Thailand has claimed that the use of landmines that injured Thai soldiers was the trigger point.

8:47 AM – Cambodian forces return fire in defence of national sovereignty in response to Thai military aggression.

8:46 AM – Thai troops open fire on Cambodian forces stationed at Ta Moan Thom Temple. The skirmishes escalate towards Ta Krabei Temple and the Phnom Kmoach area. The Thai military also broadens the conflict zone by launching attacks, including the use of fighter jets, towards the Mom Bei area in Preah Vihear province.

7:04 AM – Thai drones are observed hovering in Cambodian airspace for about two minutes.

6:30 AM – The Thai military initiates provocative actions, violating bilateral agreements by covertly installing barbed wire at the base of Ta Moan Thom Temple.

Cambodian Ministry of National Defence released a statement on the timeline of events leading to border clashes on Thursday.

Contrary to these claims, Thailand has claimed that the use of landmines that injured Thai soldiers was the trigger point.

8:47 AM – Cambodian forces return fire in defence of national sovereignty in response to Thai military aggression.

8:46 AM – Thai troops open fire on Cambodian forces stationed at Ta Moan Thom Temple. The skirmishes escalate towards Ta Krabei Temple and the Phnom Kmoach area. The Thai military also broadens the conflict zone by launching attacks, including the use of fighter jets, towards the Mom Bei area in Preah Vihear province.

7:04 AM – Thai drones are observed hovering in Cambodian airspace for about two minutes.

6:30 AM – The Thai military initiates provocative actions, violating bilateral agreements by covertly installing barbed wire at the base of Ta Moan Thom Temple.

Cambodian Ministry of National Defence released a statement on the timeline of events leading to border clashes on Thursday.

“We knew that as long as the troops were there, there was always a potential for clashes,” he said.

“At this point, it’s no time for talks,” he said, recalling that Thailand has tried unsuccessfully to have bilateral talks with Cambodia for armed forces on both sides to redeploy away from the disputed border areas.

The General said Cambodia had ignored all offers by Thailand for dialogue to lessen tensions over disputed border areas and the opening of border check-points, according to Thai PBS World.

Gen Nattaphon Nakpanich, the Deputy Defence Minister of Thailand, on Thurday said that time for talks with Cambodia has well passed as the neighbouring nations’ armed forces clashed along several border areas.

Tensions escalated after Thailand expelled Cambodia’s ambassador over a landmine incident, prompting Phnom Penh to downgrade diplomatic ties. The violence also fuelled political instability in Thailand, where Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is under suspension. Regional leaders, including Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim, have called for dialogue.

Most casualties occurred in Thailand’s Sisaket province, where rockets struck a petrol station, killing students sheltering in a convenience store. Cambodia has not disclosed its losses but claims it acted in self-defence against Thai aggression. Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilians and closed border crossings, advising its nationals to leave Cambodia.

Thailand and Cambodia engaged in their most intense military confrontation in more than ten years on Thursday, leaving at least 12 people dead and 35 injured. The fighting, which erupted near the disputed Emerald Triangle border zone, involved tanks, ground troops, and Thai F-16 air strikes in response to Cambodian rocket and artillery fire.

Tensions escalated after Thailand expelled Cambodia’s ambassador over a landmine incident, prompting Phnom Penh to downgrade diplomatic ties. The violence also fuelled political instability in Thailand, where Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is under suspension. Regional leaders, including Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim, have called for dialogue.

Most casualties occurred in Thailand’s Sisaket province, where rockets struck a petrol station, killing students sheltering in a convenience store. Cambodia has not disclosed its losses but claims it acted in self-defence against Thai aggression. Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilians and closed border crossings, advising its nationals to leave Cambodia.

Thailand and Cambodia engaged in their most intense military confrontation in more than ten years on Thursday, leaving at least 12 people dead and 35 injured. The fighting, which erupted near the disputed Emerald Triangle border zone, involved tanks, ground troops, and Thai F-16 air strikes in response to Cambodian rocket and artillery fire.

“As of this afternoon, the situation regarding passenger transport on the Phnom Penh–Bangkok and Siem Reap–Bangkok routes remains unchanged,” he said.

Speaking to The Post earlier today, July 24, SSCA spokesperson Sin Chansereyvutha stated that although fighting between Cambodian and Thai troops broke out at several locations in the morning, commercial flights between the two countries were continuing as usual. There had been no reports of flight cancellations.

Despite the continuing border clashes between Cambodian and Thai militaries, commercial flights between the neighbouring countries have remained unaffected, the Phnom Penh Post cited the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) as saying.

The attacks left two Thai soldiers with severe leg injuries requiring amputations, along with civilian casualties.

From now on, Thai soldiers can respond according to strategic plans, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can rightfully implement various measures.”

Thailand has exercised patience and restraint, fully adhering to international law and fulfilling its duties as a good neighbor.

In a post on X, Thaksin wrote, “Today, Hun Sen ordered firing into Thai territory early in the morning, initiating the attack after setting up explosive traps along the border, which is considered a violation of international law and the ethics of good neighborly coexistence, resulting in two Thai soldiers being injured with severed legs and several civilians also injured.

Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Thursday accused Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen of ordering the cross-border attacks that killed Thai civilians. He added that this act gave Thailand legitimate grounds for military retaliation.

Clashes between troops, physical altercations, and temporary temple closures further strained relations. Diplomatic channels have narrowed, and the border remains heavily militarised, raising fears of prolonged conflict.

July saw increasing violence and confrontations at sensitive border locations, particularly around the Ta Muen Thom temple. A series of landmine explosions injured Thai soldiers, with Thailand accusing Cambodia of planting new Russian-made PMN-2 mines, an allegation Cambodia denied.

Tensions quickly escalated, with each side engaging in tit-for-tat measures: Thailand suspended border crossings and cut electricity to parts of Cambodia, while Cambodia responded by halting fuel imports and reducing internet bandwidth. By late June, border control was handed over to the Thai military, and an ad hoc command centre was established to manage the crisis.

The roots of the conflict stretch back to a leaked phone call on June 18, in which Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was heard speaking informally with Cambodia’s former Prime Minister Hun Sen, sparking nationalist backlash in both countries.

Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have escalated into armed confrontations following a series of diplomatic, military, and civil clashes that began in late May. The situation deteriorated rapidly in July, culminating on Wednesday (July 24) when Cambodian clashes with Thai soldiers at the Ta Muen Thom temple in a border region claimed by both countries. The attack followed weeks of increasing hostility, including a landmine incident that severely injured a Thai soldier, prompting Thailand to recall its ambassador from Phnom Penh and expel Cambodia’s envoy.

Armed clashes erupted on Thursday between Thai and Cambodian forces across at least six disputed areas along their shared border, killing at least nine Thai civilians and injuring 14 others, Thai officials said.

The confrontation marks a major escalation after months of simmering tensions, with exchanges of gunfire, shelling, and even Thai air strikes reported. The latest violence occurred near the Ta Muen Thom temple area in Surin province, following a land mine blast that injured Thai soldiers and prompted both countries to downgrade diplomatic ties.

Thai authorities have now fully sealed the border, halting all crossings.

The latest violence follows a series of confrontations since May, when a Cambodian soldier was shot dead in an earlier skirmish. Despite pledges to de-escalate, both sides have taken economic and diplomatic steps that worsened relations. Cambodia banned Thai imports including fuel and produce, and suspended cultural and digital links.

Thailand responded with border restrictions, now extended to a complete closure. The dispute, rooted in conflicting interpretations of colonial-era maps, has once again spotlighted the fragility of peace along the 800-km frontier separating the two Southeast Asian neighbours.

Domestic political turmoil has complicated the crisis. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended from office earlier this month after a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian figure triggered accusations of undermining Thai sovereignty. In the call, she referred to Cambodian ex-PM Hun Sen as “uncle” and criticised her country’s military.

The fallout weakened her ruling coalition and sparked nationalist protests. Her apology failed to quell the backlash, and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has since taken over as acting prime minister.

The roots of the territorial dispute date back more than a century, centred on colonial-era French maps and the fate of ancient temples straddling the border. In particular, the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple remains a symbolic and strategic flashpoint.

The International Court of Justice ruled in favour of Cambodia in 1962 and again reaffirmed that stance in 2013 after deadly clashes. Cambodia has returned to the court to settle the ongoing dispute, but Thailand has rejected its jurisdiction.

With historical grievances now reignited by fresh violence, a diplomatic resolution appears increasingly elusive.

US Stock Market LIVE Updates: Markets mixed as earnings, jobless data, and trade talks drive sentiment

By CNBCTV18.COM Jul 24, 2025 8:15 PM IST (Updated)

US Stock Market LIVE Updates: S&P 500 futures were little changed early Thursday (July 24) as investors digested mixed earnings from major tech firms and monitored rising tensions between President Donald Trump and the US Federal Reserve. Futures linked to the S&P 500 edged up 0.1%, while Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.3%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipped 198 points, or 0.4%.

US Stock Market LIVE Updates: S&P 500 futures were little changed early Thursday (July 24) as investors digested mixed earnings from major tech firms and monitored rising tensions between President Donald Trump and the US Federal Reserve. Futures linked to the S&P 500 edged up 0.1%, while Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.3%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipped 198 points, or 0.4%. Alphabet and Tesla, two of the so-called Magnificent Seven stocks, reported quarterly results after Wednesday’s closing bell. Meanwhile, political focus returned to the standoff between Trump and Fed Chair Jerome Powell. The White House said the president will visit the Federal Reserve on Thursday—marking the first such visit by a sitting president in nearly 20 years and signalling a new level of pressure on the central bank.

Watch this space for all the Live updates.

Thailand and Cambodia Clash Live: At least nine civilians have been killed and over a dozen injured as fierce clashes erupted along the Thailand-Cambodia border on Thursday, prompting the Thai military to launch airstrikes on Cambodian military positions in a sharp escalation of the ongoing territorial dispute, as per news agency AP.

Thai authorities reported that six people were killed in Si Sa Ket province after Cambodian forces allegedly opened fire near a petrol station. Artillery fire also struck civilian areas in Surin, including a hospital, according to the Thai army. In response, the Royal Thai Air Force deployed fighter jets targeting Cambodian positions near the disputed Preah Vihear temple.

The violence follows a landmine explosion on Wednesday that injured five Thai soldiers, one of whom lost a leg. Thai officials blamed newly planted Russian-made mines, while Cambodia dismissed the claim, attributing it to unexploded ordnance from past conflicts.

Thailand has since sealed all land border crossings, issued evacuation advisories to its citizens in Cambodia, and expelled the Cambodian ambassador. Cambodia retaliated by downgrading diplomatic ties and recalling its staff from Bangkok.

Why This Tension Again?

The violence is rooted in a long-standing territorial dispute over ancient temples and overlapping border claims, particularly near the Preah Vihear, Ta Muen, and Ta Moan Thom temples. Despite past rulings by the International Court of Justice favouring Cambodia, many in Thailand continue to contest the decisions.

The conflict, rooted in a century-old dispute over the 817-kilometer border, saw Thailand retaliate with F-16 airstrikes on Cambodian military targets, killing at least 11 Thai civilians and one soldier, including an eight-year-old boy, per *Reuters*. Cambodia denies initiating the violence, with its Defense Ministry claiming Thai troops provoked the clash at 08:46 AM, while Thailand alleges Cambodian drone surveillance and troop movements with heavy weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades, triggered the fighting at 07:35 AM.

X posts suggest Cambodian forces fired additional BM-21 salvos into Surin and Buriram provinces, hitting residential areas and wounding civilians, with one post noting a hospital and a 7-Eleven at a PTT gas station among the targets. Thailand has closed its border, evacuated 40,000 people, and deployed six F-16s, while Cambodia has downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled Thai diplomats.

The official narrative from Bangkok condemns Cambodia’s “inhumane” actions, including alleged hospital attacks, as war crimes, but Phnom Penh insists its response was self-defense. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as ASEAN chair, is mediating, urging de-escalation.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Foreign Ministry has issued a travel warning for the region.